


Ice Cream or Something

by she_who_the_river_could_not_hold



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 20:04:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13771527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/she_who_the_river_could_not_hold/pseuds/she_who_the_river_could_not_hold
Summary: Lucas Sinclair has decided that high school parties are definitely not his thing. Luckily for him though, his co-captain of the debate team (and secret crush) Max Mayfield is there as well. So just maybe, high school parties aren't the absolute worst.





	Ice Cream or Something

**Author's Note:**

> requested by littledancersun and originally posted on tumblr → Lumax + "You hate this party too? Wanna go get ice cream or something?"
> 
> inspired by an AU I made where Lucas and Max captains of the Hawkins High School debate team, not required but if you want more backstory feel free to click [here!](https://she-who-the-river-could-not-hold.tumblr.com/post/170137949984/oooh-can-you-do-a-modern-au-high-school-with)

High school parties maybe aren’t the worst thing ever, but Lucas is also pretty sure they’re far from the best thing ever.

 

He’s leaning against the kitchen counter, his hand clutching a nearly-full plastic cup that has some sort of sickly sweet smelling liquid in it. He had spotted empty bottles of Hawaiian Punch and Sunny D littered throughout the laundry room as he passed it, which would explain how the horrible taste of vodka was masked and how he was also pretty sure he was getting a cavity just smelling it. 

 

It had been Dustin’s idea to come, a group of his theater friends had decided to throw a party for one of the girl’s birthdays. All of Nancy’s warnings about theater kids throwing some of the biggest college parties apparently was something that began in high school if this was any Indication of it.

 

It was all good until literally everyone had ditched him.

 

He hadn’t minded it at first, barely taking small sips of the drink and occasionally chatting with classmates as they walked by. But now it had been an hour of being there and he was getting pretty bored.

 

And then a group of girls came out from down in the basement, giggling to themselves as they chat enthusiastically, and he spots her.

 

Max Mayfield. 

 

He tries to be nonchalant about the whole thing but _holy shit she looks great_.

 

She’s got her long red hair thrown into a side braid and the sleeves of her denim jacket are rolled up to her elbows in that casual-cool style she’s been rocking pretty much since the day she moved to Hawkins. Lucas adjusts his posture so that he’s slouching anymore (but he also tries to look like he absolutely hasn’t been staring at her).

 

It either didn’t work or doesn’t matter because Max gives her friends a nudge and makes her way through the crowd towards him. 

 

“Sup Captain,” she says with a mock salute as she leans in next to him.

 

“You know that we don’t have to salute for the debate team right?” He replies with a roll of his eyes, not even able to help the sarcastic tone that sneaks in. It’s been years of their banter and it’s impossible to not tease each other.

 

She shrugs and takes a sip from her cup, looking out at the party around them.

 

“Wait what’s in your drink?” He leans forward to peer at her cup. It’s clear, unlike the bright red of his drink. 

 

She arches an eyebrow and leans in close to his face (he tries to not visibly inhale whatever perfume she’s wearing), and whispers conspiratorially.

 

“It’s a special drink just for me, think you can keep a secret?”

 

He nods and she bends over more at the waist until her lips are by his ear.

 

“Water.”

 

He draws back with a groan and gives her a soft punch to the shoulder. She’s so ridiculous sometimes but he can’t help but laugh. And honestly he’s a bit envious he didn’t just think of doing that, rather than trying to force this alcoholic concoction down. 

 

“See I just keep it half full so it’s hard to see, but no one bothers me about a drink,” she further explains, laughing at her own genius.

 

“Okay okay, that’s smart,” he concedes with a smile.

 

“Not going to be debate me Sinclair? Try to prove me wrong?”

 

“Nah,” he responds smoothly, “I’m just going to take you down at our next tag team debate in class next week. I save my winning for when it matters.”

 

She snorts at that, and the two fall into a comfortable silence as they watch the antics of their fellow students around them. Lucas looks back down at his cup and grimaces. Maybe high school parties aren’t the worst, but this drink definitely might be.

 

Max notices him staring at his drink, just below where he had first filled it up, and reaches out to touch his wrist lightly. 

 

“Since you hate this party too, wanna go get ice cream or something?” She partially has to yell her question to get it over the music that has just magically gotten louder.

 

Lucas’ eyebrows shoot up and he looks at her curiously. 

 

They NEVER hang out outside of class or debate. Sure, sometimes he’ll see her and her best friend El at Benny’s but otherwise they’re a strictly school-based friendship. But now they’re at a party and she’s asking him to go hang out (and she’s sober so it’s a massive confidence boost). 

 

Her mischievous grin has a totally different feeling when it’s not a part of absolutely mocking him and he finds her mirroring her smile back.

 

“Yeah let’s get the hell out of here,” he says, turning to place his cup on the counter behind him.

 

He pulls out his phone to send a quick text to the guys that he’s heading out, spotting Will over in one of the corners with the boy from his math class. Will gives him a dramatic thumbs up which makes Lucas blush and determinedly not look over again. 

 

As they make their way out of the party, her hand slips back to grab his and as their fingers intertwine, Lucas is sure he can feel his heart about to burst out of his chest. He knows that at school on Monday they’ll be back to their bickering and intense competitions in debate, but for now this is them. And maybe junior year is going to be a little more special than he realized.


End file.
